Coventina's Crown
by Tau
Summary: Starring Morain Blackthorn from the Fleetway series. *Chapter update- Morain enters Mobius for the first time, and runs into a spot of trouble with a certain pink hedgehog.*
1. Prologue

**15 years ago…**

**Location unknown…**

All evening the wind had rattled the shutters and rain pounded the roof, but the constant noise failed to disturb the old white hedgehog seated comfortably by the fire in his warm room, a huge book in his lap. The book was gilt-edged and the cover old and worn. The fire cast a warm glow over the wooden cover, illuminating the golden letters of the book's title.

'Brotherhood of the Jewelled Brow.' It read. 

Narrowing his eyes against the dazzling dance of the flames, the hedgehog reached to a small inkpot resting nearby on a table. Lifting a long, feather quill and dipping it into the pot, the hedgehog held it just above the parchment of the book, and began to speak.

"Janna Blackthorn was killed today while attempting to rescue the captured foxes from the grasp of the current Goblin king."

No sooner had he spoken the words in his tired old voice, did golden, sparkling ink flow from the tip of the quill's nib. He never touched the paper with his quill, but wrote in the air above it. The golden ink trickling from the nib dotted the parchment, and where it fell, a golden light shone from the paper.  As the glow faded, the exact words he had spoken appeared in perfect rows, in gold ink. The handwriting was barely legible, the letters long and elaborate, but just readable. The hedgehog studied his handiwork for a few moments, and then continued.**__**

"It has been five years since the disappearance of Coventina's Crown. Janna was a dear friend to us, and I am lost in knowing how to help the children she left behind. With their father dead long ago, little Errol and Morain must learn to live without their mother's gentle guidance. Errol is only four years old, and his sister is only two, but the Enchanter Kings will see to it that they are raised properly. Errol and Morain know nothing of the crown or of us yet. I foresee a great deal of struggle and heartache for both of them. It is perhaps best that I do nothing at present, but Janna shall be sorely missed."

He paused for a moment, studying the new words he had written, before continuing.

"Janna, wherever you are, your thoughts must comfort your cubs tonight. They'll be waiting for you, and you will not return to them."

Finishing that last sentence, the hedgehog held the nib of the quill below it, and signed his name in gold.

"Llwyd, Chief of the Brotherhood of the Jewelled Brow." 


	2. Enter Morain

**Disclaimer- **Since the cast are too numerous to list individually, **all **characters are copyright Sega/Fleetway except the following:

Crin and Crine belong to Talandar and were borrowed with his permission. 

Warrior Chu is copyright to himself.

Coventina, Janna Blackthorn, The Badb and The Brotherhood of the Jewelled Brow belong to me. Sowilo and Dagaz Foxwell were created by my co-writer Yukishin and me. She's another writer on fanfiction.net and her writing's pretty good so I'd recommend it especially to Rayearth fans ^^ 

I may add more characters later depending but I'll update when/if I do. Anyway, this chapter's mostly bout setting the scene and informing all you peeps out there who ain't very familiar with Morain/the Nameless Zone/the Fleetway universe in general. It'll get better, trust me ^.~

The present day…

The Nameless zone…

Since Janna's death 15 years ago, Coventina's Crown has remained a secret. But its mystery is soon to be revealed. Those who will help to find it know nothing, yet, of the roles they will play…

The sun had finally set, and the hot, stifling air was beginning to cool as the night's first stars appeared in the steadily darkening sky. To all the foxes of the Nameless zone, and to Morain Blackthorn in particular, it was a relief. She had spent all day guarding the zone on a hill overlooking the fox village, and nightfall meant her watch was nearly over for the day.

The Nameless zone was a mysterious region that most of Mobius believed existed only in legend. To those who knew of its existence, however, the only known access to the zone was through a magical portal operable by three fox rulers known as the Enchanter Kings. The zone was occupied mainly by mythological creatures rarely found elsewhere, apart from the foxes. Few chose to leave the Nameless zone, but one who had was Miles 'Tails' Prower, Mobius' greatest hero.

(A/N: This is, of course, a total lie that Tails put in his letters home to make his people proud of him. The Nameless zoners believe that Tails defeated Eggman aided by his assistant Sonic)

Morain Blackthorn was a hardened and experienced warrior (even if she did say so herself) and along with her older brother Errol, guarded the fox people and the Enchanter Kings. Morain especially took her responsibilities very seriously, even if it meant sitting out on this hill in the stuffy heat. Morain's fighting prowess was almost legendary, the only warrior in the Nameless zone stronger than she was Errolhimself.****

Morain was a striking figure, handsome rather than pretty, and a complete tomboy. She was naturally quite slim and of average height for one of her kind, with thick red hair held up in a ponytail and a triple tufted cowlick. Her eyes were wide and slanted, amber in colour, set beneath golden brows and heavily lashed, seeming to fill her face, leaving little room for the delicate nose and mouth. But instead of wearing the flimsy clothing that was so popular with the females of the zone, she wore body armour in shades of purple, green and gold, with boots of the same colour. ****

Running a finger down the edge of her sword, watching the metal glint like white gold in the light of the rising moon, Morain inhaled slowly. Nothing interesting was happening, nothing interesting _had _happened for months, and she predicted that it was going to be another of those long nights. Despite all her best efforts to keep her thoughts to the here and now, Morain was so bored and the weather so sultry that her mind began to drift to fond memories.

"How long has it been, Tails?" She muttered under her breath, remembering the young fox's last visit to his hometown. It had been so long since Tails' last visit to the Nameless zone, but Morain remembered it like it was yesterday. Like her, Tails had been born here in the Nameless zone, but now lived on Mobius with his 'sidekick' Sonic. Since the Nameless zone was in another dimension to Mobius, only with the portal open could Tails enter the zone, and he always had to leave before it closed. He was several years younger than Morain, and a hell of a lot quieter, but they got on very well. Tails was gentle, not fierce and hostile like her, but when he quietly told the tales of his many adventures, even the most restless fox warriors would stop to listen. And for that, Morain admired him.

All the Nameless zoners had noticed that the Goblins over the Dimension bridge in the Land Beyond had been very quiet recently. Usually they were frequently invading the Nameless zone to capture the Enchanter Kings who kept the balance of the fox town, which provided Morain and Errol (and occasionally Tails) with a great excuse to go over there and give them a good hiding. But with the goblins silent, Morain, a naturally aggressive vixen, was growing increasingly restless. She lived and breathed for action and battle, not for all this guarding crap.

Not only was she bored and hot; Morain was also concerned about her brother Errol. He was an active yet planning type, a lot less volatile than Morain, but during the last six months or so, Errol had become more of a recluse, spending most of the time in his room, writing in a small black workbook. He wouldn't let anyone so much as touch this book, and kept it on him at all times. Morain was burning with curiosity to see what he was up to.

In fact, that was almost definitely what Errol was doing now. Morain's gaze drifted to the castle and she stared wistfully at one of the lit rooms in the northern wing, Errol's room. Morain grumpily wondered how her brother could stay indoors while she sat outside guarding in this heat. After the death of their mother fifteen years ago, Morain and Errol had no other living relatives and had developed a strong relationship with each other. It annoyed Morain that Errol wasn't thinking of her but of his work. That book had become his _life_.

A solitary raven, perched nearby on a brittle tree branch, cawed suddenly in its harsh voice. The eerie sound interrupted Morain's thoughts and she jumped, before inwardly cursing herself for losing her concentration.

"Morain! Oy, _Morain_!"

This noise was even more disturbing than the raven. Morain turned towards the sound, watching as two familiar figures came bombing up the hillside, yelling at the top of their voices and probably waking up half the village. Morain let out a sigh. As if things weren't bad enough without _them _deciding to bother her.

Sowilo and Dagaz Foxwell were famous in the Nameless zone. Not for good things, mind you, quite the opposite. They came from a long line of talented and famous warriors, all easily recognisable by the runic symbols on their foreheads. Sowilo and Dagaz were twins, a year older than Morain, and the biggest troublemakers the zone had ever known. 

Sowilo was the older twin, tall with a long blond plait and sharp green eyes. Pretty, admittedly good with a sword, but a total airhead. Sowilo constantly fell in love with the nearest guy. She had the zigzag runic symbol of the sun on her forehead.

Dagaz was stronger, yet curiously shorter than his sister, a spear his usual weapon, with very unruly brown hair and blue eyes, but as mischievous as they come. Very clever, but also very sly, and nearly always grinning about something. His runic symbol was a confusing one that looked like two triangles facing inwards at each other, the symbol of the day.

"Morain!"

"What?" She replied grumpily. 

"We were bored, and thought you'd like some company, babe." Dagaz flashed her one of his trademark grins before settling down on the rock hard ground beside her.

"Lovely weather." added Sowilo cheerfully, "Think it's gonna rain anytime soon?"

"You know you've probably woken up the entire village by now." Morain replied, deliberately ignoring Dagaz, "Don't you have anything better to do besides bug me?"

"Nope." Sowilo smiled, leaning against the nearest tree with her arms folded and a serene smile on her face, "What's up with you, Mo? PMT?"

"No."

"Shaddup Sowilo, she's missing that Miles, remember?" interrupted Dagaz.

"Oh you mean Tails?" Sowilo's eyes twinkled, "Now he was _cute_. A bit young for me, but cute all the same. Is that it, Mo?"

"No," Morain snapped back, "I'm worried about Errol. He hasn't been himself. I hate to ask _you _two, of all people, but…do you think there's something wrong with him?"

"Get a grip, Mo, he hasn't been himself for months!" Dagaz replied dismissively, waving his paw, "He's an adult, he probably don't wanna be seen with his kid sister."

"_Kid sister?!_ I'm seventeen!"

"And he's nineteen."

"That's hardly an age gap! Dagaz, you're a _smeghead_."

"Yeah, Dagaz. Useless sod." Sowilo added.

"You too, Sowilo! I ask you guys for advice and I get…crap! Get lost, both of you."

Both foxes looked extremely hurt at Morain's outburst. She turned away from them, ignoring their offended looks. After a moment of awkward silence, Sowilo pouted and flicked her hair.

"Fine. We know when we're not wanted. Come on, Dagaz, let's go."

But Dagaz wasn't listening. He was staring at the castle. "Look." He pointed with a finger.

Morain and Sowilo followed his gaze towards the northern wing of the castle. From Errol's room was a pulsating white orb of light that none of them had noticed, silently growing outwards from the window. As it grew, so did the intensity of the light. It was beautiful, but there was something about it that made Morain's fur stand on end.

"What…is it?" Sowilo breathed.  

Before either Morain or Dagaz could reply, there was a flash, and the white orb exploded. The light succeeded in blinding all three of them, and they were sent flying backwards into the ground by a sudden violent shaking. Morain's sharp ears picked up the sound of a scream.

"Errol!"

She leaped to her feet, only to be thrown down heavily onto her back by another earthquake tremor that shook the ground all around them and made their ears ring. Sowilo squealed loudly.

Suddenly, the white light disappeared as swiftly as it had come, and the ground stopped trembling. Morain opened her eyes and let go of Sowilo and Dagaz, both of who were whimpering and clutching each other like frightened children. Oddly enough, the earthquake tremors had done no damage to the surrounding area, despite the fact that it had been so strong. The raven nearby cawed again before taking flight from its perch. Turning back towards the castle, Morain noticed that the light in Errol's room was gone.

With a cry, Morain raced towards the castle, her mind confused and full of fears for her brother. _What had happened? Had he unleashed some demon? Was he hurt?_

The door to Errol's room lay on the floor in thousands of splinters. Her heart in her mouth, Morain charged through the doorway.

The room was completely trashed. Errol's wardrobe and bed were leaning against one wall, and clothes and personal items were strewn all over the place. It looked like a mini tornado had blown through the room. His work area, however, was intact, his chair and desk still in their usual positions. A big puddle of black ink from the smashed inkpot was dripping from the table onto the floor. But of Errol there was no sign.

Calling wildly for her brother and fearing the worst, Morain searched the room; Sowilo and Dagaz catching up to help her. But they found nothing.

There was no blood anywhere, no sign of any scuffle. _Not a thing._

Errol had vanished without a trace.


	3. To Mobius

Many thanks to all the guys who've reviewed so far, it's a great help to know that someone's readin this ^.~ I was tempted to give this up but hey I got bored so...here's the next chapter! Please R n R, any comments/criticism would be great!

A/N- I had to take a few liberties with the names of the Enchanter Kings coz the only one I could find was Shirob from the comics. So I've named the other two Boann and Tammuz. If anyone knows the real names that Fleetway gave them, please email me and let me know so I can change it ^^

**Chapter two: To Mobius**

Morain drew her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her paws. Maybe if she closed her eyes and concentrated hard, she'd wake up and find that the whole thing was just a terrible nightmare. She still found it impossible to believe.

_Errol was gone._

All hope of finding her brother had been practically lost. The Enchanter Kings, try as they might, were unable to find him. They had all the fox warriors searching the village and surrounding area, but there was no trace of Errol. They'd tried scrying for him, using fire, a crystal ball, a mirror, ink and even blood, but to no avail. They were still trying now, of course.

The small room in the castle where Morain sat was pleasantly cool compared to the heat outside, but the heat outside was nothing compared to the burning anger that boiled within her, coursing through her veins. Morain, as a warrior, knew this restless rage only too well. This emotion meant it was time to fight, and she was prepared to hack her way through flesh and bone to save her kin. But the worst thing was that although her blood boiled and her fingers ached to use her sword, Morain felt inexplicably _numb._ The whole ordeal had sent her spiraling head first into an all-consuming numbness from which she could not escape. It was terrifying in it's intensity.

Shaman Warpull, Sowlio and Dagaz were nearby, talking in hushed tones. They'd tried everything to cheer Morain up, and had finally resigned to discussing the best course of action amongst themselves. Unfortunately, Sowilo and Dagaz had proven to be completely useless at plan making, they were too excited by the whole mystery to say anything intelligent. That didn't surprise Morain in the slightest, but what _did_ surprise her was that the Enchanter Kings and Shaman Warpull, the cleverest and most powerful foxes in the zone, had no idea what to do. They were as lost as she was.

"Morain..." Shaman Warpull bent down beside her, a sad smile on his wrinkled old face. "There is still hope, my dear. The Enchanter Kings are consulting the Magic Crystal of Communication, the most powerful magical instrument in our possession. If there is any chance of finding Errol, the Crystal will show us."

Morain nodded silently, her spirits lifted slightly, but not daring to count on the Crystal in case it went wrong or something. Although she had a little magical power, the ability to use something as complicated as the Magic Crystal of Communication was far beyond her. Silently, she cursed her lack of magic and wished bitterly that she knew what to do.

Shaman Warpull stood up as one of the Enchanters, Boann, entered the room. Sowilo and Dagaz stopped arguing and listened.

"We have managed to locate Errol." Boann answered their unspoken question. "The message is very faint, however, you are permitted to see it if you will not be too disturbed by it."

"Disturbed?" Morain echoed in alarm, leaping immediately to her feet. "Is Errol..._hurt_?"

Boann made no response to Morain's question, and simply turned on his heel and retraced his footsteps out of the room. Shaman Warpull beckoned to Morain, Sowilo and Dagaz and they followed him into the room next door.

The other Enchanter Kings, Shirob and Tammuz, were there, staring at a huge white-coloured crystal standing in the center of the room on a gold base. It was pulsing with an odd, faintly blue light.

"What...?" Morain began impatiently.

Shirob placed a finger to his lips and beckoned for her to approach the crystal.

As Morain peered into the milk white depths of the crystal, a dark shadow materialized from the mist. Now two shadows. The distant, faint sound of a voice, a voice none of the watching foxes recognized, harsh, cruel and alien, drifted to their ears, the sound amplified by the Crystal's powers.

"Where is it? Tell me now and I'll let you go unharmed."

Errol's voice followed, raspy, tired, but still unmistakably his. "I don't know. And even if I _did_, I wouldn't tell you!"

"Little scum. However, do not think you've won. I have a team of experts searching for the artifact as we speak, and it is only a matter of time until it is found. Then I shall gladly dispose of you."

"Do you want me to deal with him, Sir?" Came the soft voice of a third, unseen person.

"Yes. Shallow cuts, mind you, we don't want him dying on us yet."

_"Shallow cuts?!" _Morain echoed aloud.

All too suddenly, the vision faded, and the crystal went dead.

Morain uttered a string of curses and would have flung her sword at the crystal if Dagaz hadn't stopped her. She was trembling with uninhibited rage. The numbness from earlier had finally worn off and now she was _angry._

"How _dare_ they?!" She spat, eyes glittering dangerously. "I'll show them! Kidnap _my_ brother? _I'll kill them_!"

"Morain, calm yourself." Shirob replied gravely. "Firstly, we don't know Errol's exact location, as the message is not particularly clear. Our only lead is _this._"

As he spoke, Shirob drew out a small black book from his pocket and extended it towards Morain. She recognized it immediately.

"Errol's workbook!" She exclaimed, grabbing it from Shirob's outstretched paw. Pulling apart the iron clasp that held the book shut, she flipped urgently through the pages, searching for any clue. The whole book was written in code, a weird jumble of letters and numbers and symbols. Completely confused, she looked up at the Enchanter Kings.

"But this...this doesn't make any sense!"

"We know." Tammuz nodded, "But it seems that Errol was on to something. Whatever it was, I suspect that _someone _didn't want him to know about it. If you can decipher the code, you might be able to find Errol."

"But there's a second problem." Boann glanced nervously at his companions as he spoke, "Even if we _can _uncover the book's code, we may already be too late..."

"That's no reason to give up!" Morain thundered suddenly, making them all jump. She thumped her chest with a clenched fist, a stubborn frown on her face. "I'll go and rescue Errol _myself_!"

"Morain, you can't go alone..."

"Then I'll call for Miles Prower! He's our champion, he'll help me."

"There's a strong possibility that you will need his assistance, Morain." Shirob replied, "Like we said, we don't know exactly where Errol is, but we do know this...Errol is on planet Mobius."

"You mean he was stolen all the way to _Mobius_?" Dagaz gasped. "Is that possible?"

Morain remained silent, stony faced.

"Yes, Dagaz, it's possible. But from what Miles Prower has told us of Mobius, it is a huge and dangerous place, and Errol could be anywhere."

"I'm going to Mobius."

"What?!" Chorused Sowilo and Dagaz, looking at Morain in a mixture of shock, horror and admiration.

"We have to rescue Errol." She explained quietly, "Not only is he my brother, he's also my friend. If I were in trouble, I'd expect him to help me. Even if he's trapped in some godforsaken place, we have to save him."

"Define _we?_" Sowilo squeaked.

"As Runic Warriors, you're obliged to go with Morain." Shaman Warpull intervened, "That's the idea, Sowilo."

"I'll go alone." Morain replied, "Sowilo and Dagaz would only slow me down. If you can open the portal to Mobius for me, I'll locate our champion and go rescue Errol. I can easily open the portal back here for long enough for Errol and me to return. It shouldn't take long."

The three Enchanter Kings looked at each other and nodded, "Very well, Morain. When can you leave?"

"_Now_." Was the reply. "I have my sword, and Errol's book. That's all I need."

"Then allow us a few moments to gather our magic together and open the portal." Shirob answered.

Morain, Sowilo and Dagaz went to the nearby fire and waited, while the Enchanter Kings and Shaman Warpull retreated to their own corner of the room.

"Do you really think you can find Errol in time, Morain?" Sowilo asked the younger vixen.

At first, Morain didn't reply, but simply stared into the fire, the flames casting shadows on her face. It was almost like the fire was reflecting in her amber-colored eyes. Reaching to her right boot, she drew out a small, gem-encrusted dagger. Placing it flat on her right palm, she drew it along her palm suddenly, the sharp edge of the blade slicing through her white glove and the flesh beneath. She clenched her right paw into a fist, feeling the hot blood well between her fingers.

"I won't rest until my brother is safely home here again."

Holding her fist over the flames, she opened her paw and dripped several droplets of blood into the fire. Over the noise of the hiss and fizzling flames, she continued.

"I swear it. By my own blood."

The Enchanters had been watching this blood oath and looked at each other as Morain finished it.

"Do you think that Errol could know about...about..."

"The crown? It's possible, though I don't know how he discovered its existence. Then again...he _is _Janna's son."

"And Morain? She's going into deadly danger on Mobius. I think, however, it is to her advantage that she knows nothing of the crown or it's guardians. Whoever kidnapped Errol is close to finding it, and the guardians will have no qualms about destroying anyone who knows even the crown's name. Her ignorance could well be her salvation."

"How true. Besides, she will have Miles Prower to defend her. He was an amazing warrior the last time we saw him, I am sure he will be an even greater one now. If Errol can be rescued before the crown is found and _before_ the guardians can find and destroy him, all should be well."

"Hmm...it is a lot to hope for. We can only watch and wait."

Morain approached them, closely followed by Sowilo and Dagaz who looked even more nervous than she did. As the first green rays of the portal began to materialize in front of her, they offered her good luck.

"Be careful, Mo."

"Yeah. Good luck."

"Thank you, Sowilo, Dagaz."

"Morain Blackthorn," Shaman Warpull bowed to her, "Give our regards to the prodigal son."

At this, Morain grinned, "It'll be good to see Tails again."

"Good luck, Morain."

Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Morain stepped into the green light of the portal. All the familiar sights, sounds and smells faded away, and she felt an unfamiliar jolt of loneliness. Then she detected a faint yet distinct smell wafting to her through the green void. It was like nothing she had ever smelt before.

Without warning, she tumbled out of the portal and landed in an ungraceful heap on thick, lush green grass. Cautiously opening her eyes, she peered around.

Tall trees stood around randomly. The long, bright green grass danced to the gentle breeze and to her left, a crystal blue waterfall tumbled over rocks and followed the course of a beautiful stream over a nearby hill. Remembering what Tails had taught her of the layout of some of the zones of Mobius, it didn't take long for Morain to remember the name of this one.

It was the Emerald Hill Zone.

**Meanwhile...**

**A short distance away...**

"I've detected an unidentified life form only a few miles south east of here. It's just appeared...out of nowhere."

"Think it could be a threat?"

"I'm not sure. But better safe than sorry, eh? The life form's female, a fox in species."

"Alright then, you and I should take her."

"She could just be a civilian..."

"Civilians don't just appear out of nowhere."

"Hmm...and look at _this!_ According to the computer's databanks, there's no records of this person anywhere. It's like...she didn't exist until a few moments ago. I've never seen anything like it."

"We can worry about that when we get there. Pass over my crossbow, would you?"

"Do you really think weapons are necessary?"

"Just a precaution. She could be tricky, and I'm not gonna risk any of the locals if she is. It's a shame none of the guys are around."

"It wouldn't take all of us to confront this fox, would it?"

"No, I mean I wanna see the looks on their faces when I beat the crap outta this imposter. Anyway, let's go, before she gets too close to the village or the base."

**Back by the waterfall...**

Morain unsheathed her sword and cautiously followed the stream over the hill and down towards the valley. It looked like there was some kind of village down there...


	4. Amy and Tekno V.S Morain

**Chapter three: Amy and Tekno VS. Morain**

Amy Rose swept her pink fringe away from her eyes and blinked in the afternoon sunlight. Under the crook of her arm she carried her trusty crossbow, loaded with an arrow. She was itching to find this imposter and teach her a lesson.

"How far, Tekno?"

The green haired canary girl at her side continued to type away at the handheld computer she was holding. "Not far, Amy. She isn't going anywhere fast. I wonder who she is."

"As far as I'm concerned, she's a threat to us and to the Emerald Hill folk until proven otherwise." Amy replied, tapping her crossbow to emphasize her words, "Tekno, don't tell me you want to trust someone who just appears in mid-air?"

The canary shrugged, "I'm just saying it's odd, that's all. Maybe she's from another dimension? Maybe the Ring of Eternity sent her here or her world accidentally crossed over with ours. Stuff like that's happened plenty of times."

"Maybe, but I'm not taking the chance. You're too soft. How-"

"-Wait! She's heading this way! Just ahead of us!"

Morain cocked her ears and listened hard. She could have sworn she heard voices a second ago. In this unfamiliar terrain, she had to use all her warrior senses. She didn't know what to expect, and she wasn't going to take any risks. Finding Tails would be difficult enough, even if he _was _famous and all that.

"What do we do, Amy?" Tekno whispered to her hedgehog friend. The pair had taken shelter behind a nearby bush, and they could see the stranger just ahead. Amy was watching every fluid and elegant movement the vixen made with what was a mixture of resentment and awe, and noted the long, sharp sword she held.

"Let's do it your way first. We try to reason with her, no weapons."

So saying, Amy calmly stepped out of the bushes and stood several metres away from the fox, crossbow in paw but pointed downwards towards the ground. Tekno followed her, holding only her computer as she was unarmed.

"What do you want, stranger?" Amy asked in a clear, steady voice.

"I'm looking for the one you call Miles Prower." The vixen replied, keeping her sword close to her side in an act of neutrality. Her accent was only slightly different to theirs, slightly more musical and gentle, despite the obvious challenging note to it.

"Miles...Prower?" Tekno looked at Amy in slight surprise. "I've never heard of him."

"Me neither."

The stranger looked puzzled. Turning her head slightly to one side, she questioned, "You've never heard of him? But he's a great hero in your land, conqueror of the evil Robotnik who held sway over you all."

Amy gave a short laugh, "Yeah _right._ There's no such person as this 'Miles Prower' of yours! If there was, we'd 'av heard about him!"

The fox bristled angrily. Even from this distance, her amber eyes shone like little flares. She stepped forward, bringing up her sword as she did so. _No-one _mocked Miles Prower when she was around.

"You calling me a liar?"

"Depends. If you're gonna try and hurt people, then I'll be only too glad to skewer you." Amy brought up her crossbow from her side and pointed it straight as the vixen.

She only laughed, and stared at Amy disdainfully. "How interesting. You think you could take _my _life..."

Amy blinked, and the fox vanished. "Wha...?"

There was a flash of red and orange, and Amy was sent sprawling backwards. Tekno squealed, and was knocked into a nearby bush by a well aimed kick in her midriff. As Amy stumbled to regain her balance, she felt cold, hard metal touch her throat, and a voice whispered into her ear:

"...before I can take _yours_? Care to give me your name, sweetheart, before I run you through?"

Snarling with rage, Amy lashed out backwards with her foot. She felt it strike the fox's shin, and on hearing the cursing, grabbed the hands holding the sword around her throat and flipped the stranger over her back onto the ground. The vixen landed with a crunch and a yelp. Grabbing her crossbow, Amy pointed it at the fox's throat.

"Now why don't you give me _your _name, before I run _you _through?"

The vixen grinned. "Morain Blackthorn, warrior vixen of the Nameless Zone." Still grinning, she lashed out at Amy, catching her by surprise. Morain swept out Amy's feet from under her, before diving to one side to collect her sword. She took a fighting stance, as did Amy with her crossbow. From one warrior to another, this battle was on.

Tekno looked up as the two females circled each other, watching for any signs of weakness before the fight. Both looked evenly matched, Morain with quicker agility and speed and Amy with a quicker mind and better weapon. Tekno grabbed her computer from the ground nearby, thinking of who to call for backup. She was convinced, now, that this Morain character was sent by Robotnik.

But there was only one freedom fighter left at the base.

Sonic was away on a solo mission.

Porker Lewis was at the Floating Island with Knuckles.

Shortfuse the Cybernik was in the Special Zone taking some time off and visiting the Chaotix Crew.

Tails was having a snooze at the base.

_Tails._

He wasn't much, but Tekno decided that he'd have to do. Besides, this Morain was a fox, maybe Tails would know a way of handling her.

A short message flicked up on the screen of her computer:

_Currently connecting to server. _

_Server Connected._

_Connecting to **Tails.**_

**Meanwhile...**

**Back at the Emerald Hill Zone base...**

Tails was having a lovely dream involving mints and ice-cream when a sudden beeping in his ear sent his dream thoughts scattering. Grumbling, he reached for his watch resting on the bedstand beside him and flicked it open, rubbing his eyes with a gloved paw as he did so.

"Hello?"

"Tails, sorry to disturb you, but...we've got a problem here." Tekno's voice rang through, loud and clear.

"What kinda problem?"

"Amy's having a face-off with an imposter just on the outskirts of the zone. _A fox._ She's gonna need backup and I don't have any of my weapons or anything. Think you can get out here in time?"

"No problem. Gimme two minutes."

"Thanks."

Tekno's face disappeared in a burst of static and Tails clambered out of bed, still rubbing his eyes. He was so tired. Slipping his feet into his familiar red and white sneakers, he stretched out his arms and gave a huge yawn.

A fox imposter, eh? It'd been a long time since Tails had seen any of his kind, even on his travels around the world. There were foxes on Mobius, obviously, but not nearly so many as there were in the Nameless Zone.

_The Nameless Zone..._Tails shook his head free of the name even as the memories came pouring back. It'd been ages since he'd been there, and he missed them all so much. Especially Errol Blackthorn and his sister Morain who were very special friends to him. For a brief moment he wondered if this imposter knew of the Nameless Zone, very few did and most of Mobius thought it was only a legend. Tails knew better, but if Sonic ever found out that the Nameless zoners thought Sonic was Tails' sidekick and Tails the hero, then the two-tailed fox would be in _big _trouble.

Flicking his tails around, Tails took to the sky and headed off as quickly as he could.

**Back at the waterfall...**

Amy hit the ground with a thud, winded. Morain stood beside her, the tip of her sword hovering inches above the hedgehog's throat.

"You have insulted the honor of my peoples' greatest hero, and for that you must die. Such a pity, you're a noble adversary."

"So...you're gonna kill me..." Amy swallowed. "Be proud of it...none of the rest of Eggman's flunkies have got even close."

Morain paused for a brief moment. "I'm not working for anyone. I work for myself, and _only _myself. All I know of this Eggman is that he is evil. Nothing more. Don't worry, pink one, I shall give you the honorable death of a soldier like you deserve."

Tekno watched in horror as Morain raised her gleaming sword high above her head, aiming for the weak point at the back of Amy's neck. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Amy closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable swish of the falling sword.

Morain, now in complete warrior mode, could almost feel the lifeblood pulsing through the veins just below the thin membrane of Amy's neck, and the incessant hammering of her heart. She gathered all her strength behind the hilt of her sword, and thrust it downwards.

But the blow never came.

The next thing Amy knew, Tekno had cried out, and was now fighting with Morain. The canary had flung herself at the fox, and knocked her over. Morain's sword had spun wildly into the bushes.

Furious, Morain turned on Tekno, backhanding the canary around the face. The vixen warrior laid her ears back flat against her skull and snarled like a cat, displaying long white canine teeth. Her eyes flamed with an unholy anger. _Now _she was mad. Tekno shivered, taking a fighting stance. 

This made Morain snarl even louder. She lunged at the canary, fighting her with her paws, and Tekno could only try to parry back. They grappled with each other, trying to force the other to submit. But it was the irate Morain, the intoxicating stench of Tekno's fear entombed in her nostrils, that pinned the other female. She grabbed Tekno round the neck, holding the canary's head back, preparing to break it, all the while smelling the blood, when a familiar voice cut through the red mist of rage like a painfully sharp knife.

Tails gaped, wide eyed, at the scene unfolding in front of him. Amy, lying on the grass, trying to get to her feet. Tekno, held in the grasp of a fox, who had her arm around Tekno's neck and preparing to break it.

There was something oddly familiar about the fox. That stance. That flame red hair in a long sweeping ponytail. The purple and green (is that right?) outfit. Tails, not knowing quite why he did it, called out to her.

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

Morain looked up even as Tails raced towards them. Of course it was him, she'd recognize him anywhere. But still the urge to fight and kill prevented her from letting the squirming Tekno go.

"Let her go, _now._" Amy growled. She was on her feet again, and had found her crossbow. She pointed it straight at Morain. The fox's ears flicked in the direction of the hedgehog, but her eyes were fixed firmly on the approaching Tails.

The youngster paused several metres away from them. What he saw betrayed all logic. 

"Mo...Morain?"

Instantly, most of the fire died from Morain's eyes.

"Tails?"

The foxes stared at each other.

"Mo...how...how did you...get here?"

"Tails, you know this...monster?" Amy interrupted.

"Morain, let Tekno go. Please." 

The vixen was slightly surprised, and her reply took on a slightly whiny tone. "But they...they insulted you, Tails, they both insulted you. You know what the penalty is for that."

"Yes, but...they're my friends, Morain. Please?"

Morain looked at Amy, who still had her crossbow aimed at her. Tails followed her gaze.

"Amy. Can you put the crossbow down now?"

"No way, kid." Amy snapped back. "And let her kill Tekno? Not gonna happen."

"Amy please." Tails asked her again. "Trust me. It'll be ok, I promise."

The hedgehog shook her head and sighed loudly. She dropped her crossbow slowly and kicked it away from herself, but still glared angrily at Morain. Tails, satisfied, turned back to the other fox.

"Mo?"

Morain looked from Tails to Amy to Tekno, but the desire to kill had all but left her now. She felt slightly disgusted at herself for giving in to blind rage. There was nothing to be gained in killing the canary. Besides, the look in Tails' bright blue eyes was so beseeching, she couldn't do it. Slowly, she let her grip on Tekno loosen.

The canary darted over to Amy, gingerly feeling her throat. Tails smiled weakly at Morain.

"I never thought...that you'd be here. It's a surprise."

"I missed you, silly fox." Was her quiet reply. 

"Tails, tell us what's going on here." Amy demanded.

Tails' head went down. All his life he had been leading this double life, and yet he had always known that this day would come, sooner or later. It was time to explain everything.

"Well...okay, but not here. Let's get back to the base."

Both Tekno and Amy looked at Morain.

"It's ok." Tails assured them. "She's a friend of mine. Look, I can't explain it here, but she's no stranger. She can be trusted. Morain Blackthorn, meet Amy Rose and Tekno the canary."

"Charmed." Amy remarked icily. 

"Ditto." Morain replied in the same tone.

Tails shook his head, and turned to lead the way back to the Emerald Hill Zone base. Explaining everything was going to take a long time...


End file.
